Nailless horseshoe.



'PATENTED' MAY 19, 1903.

No. 728 773.v

J. SERFASS. NAILLESS HORSESHQE. APPLICATION FILED H0121, 1902.

no MODEL.

anuenlox 6 Hom ng;

UNIT D STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH SERFASS, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

'NAILLESS HORSESHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 728,773, dated May 19,1903.

Application filed November 21, 1902. Serial No. 132,267. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH SERFASS, a citizen of the United States,residing at'Hazleton, in the county of Luzerneand State of Pennsylvania,have invented new and useful Improvements in Nailless Horseshoes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in farriery, subclass shoes ofthat kind or class denominated nailless, and the object is to provide anailless horseshoe which may be readily applied to the hoof of theanimal and serve all the purposes that a shoe does when nailed to hoof.

The improvements will be first described, and then the novelty claimedwill be particularly and distinctly pointed out.

I have fully and clearly illustrated the improvements in the annexeddrawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, and whereinFigure 1 is a perspective of a horses hoof having a shoe equipped withmy improved device secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a central verticalsectional view through the shoe and toe-bar.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the plate of the shoe, the heelportions of which are somewhat extended beyond the heel of the hoof, asat 1, to afford ample room for the disposition of the draw-'strapsl Theplate is preferably flat on its upper face, as usual. The plate isprovided with heel and toe calks 2 3 of any proper style. I have shownthe calks as of the conical shape, as being probably the best suitedtothis kind of shoe.

To the opposite heel portions of the shoe, closely adjacent to the endsthereof, are rigidly secured vertical pins or studs 4, on which arehinged or pivotally secured the rear ends of the draw-straps 5 6. Thedraw-straps are made of suitable metal strips having their endspivotally secured to the studs 4., and at their rear portions are madeto fit the contour of the hoof, with their base edge straight and inalinement with the top face of the shoe and broadened in their verticalheight to embrace the heel portion of the hoof, substantially as shownin the drawings. The tongues 6 of the draw-straps have parallel edgesand are integral with the base or rear portion and at a proper place areformed with transverse serrations 7, extended over such distance as mayafford suitableengagement to coincident serrations 8 on tongue-straps 9.The tongues 9 are pivotally secured to the draw-straps at 10 and extendbeyond the ends of the drawstraps and are formed at their ends withalining sleeves 11 12,provided with-interior screwthreads, with whichengagea threaded clamping-bolt 13, projected through the sleeves,and

whereby the tongue-straps and draw-straps can be drawn tight intoposition.

To the toe of the shoe is pivotally connected the toe-strap 14:, adaptedto be vertically and centrally against the hoof, and is formed with aseries of holes 15, which are engaged by a lug 16, projecting from asleeve or washer 17, mounted on the clamping-bolt 13 between the ends ofthe sleeves 11 12, so that when the lug is engaged in the desired holethe toestraps will be held firmly in position and the front of the shoebe strongly held to the hoof.

It will be perceived that I have provided the art with a naillesshorseshoe composed of very few parts, yet so constructed and arrangedthat the shoe is very strongly held to the hoof. The shoe may be appliedand secured in place by swinging the draw-straps outwardly with thetongue-straps and then turning the toe-straps forward and placing theshoe on the hoof ready to be fastened in place. This may be accomplishedby swinging the toestraps back against the hoof, then arranging the lugof the sleeve 17 in one of the holes, then bringing the draw-straps andtongues about the hoof, and then inserting and screwing. up theclamping-bolt, and theshoe is fixed in position.

Having described my invention, what I claim is A nailless horseshoecomprising a shoe, draw-straps pivotally secured to the heels of theshoe and provided with transverse serrations, tongues pivotally securedto the draw- In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of twowitnesses.

JOSIAH SERFASS.

Witnesses:

JOHN B. BAUM, A. F. BUTLER.

